The Return of the Heartless: Part II
by SilverWolf742
Summary: Mickey is in Maleficent's clutches. Riku has returned to darkness. Kairi has joined Sora as a new Keyblade wielder to stop the Heartless. Sequel to Return of the Heartless.
1. Mickey's  Plan

_The door to darkness has been reopened;_

_The worlds are once again connected._

_One keyhole sealed, three to go,_

_Before the worlds are truly protected._

The door had never been truly sealed. Shortly after Sora had been separated from Kairi and Riku, the door had reopened, once again allowing the darkness to pour out and plague the worlds with misery, pain, and despair. King Mickey, after much struggle, had been captures by winged Heartless and brought to a dark, secluded castle in one of the remote worlds. There, the forces of Darkness and the Heartless had established a haven, strengthening themselves and contriving a plan to plunge the worlds and all their inhabitants into Darkness. It appears that the keyblades of Sora and Mickey alone hadn't been enough to put a permanent end to the loathsome Heartless, and for that reason it was Kairi who was chosen to be the third keybearer. And thus, the struggle to save the worlds continues on.

Mickey was in a cramped, black jail cell. He had his tail tucked underneath him, his head to his knees, and his arms wrapped around them. His eyes were sullen and downcast, staring bleakly at the cold, hard, concrete flooring. The cell was dark, with one small barred window, set high in the stone wall that let in only thin rays of moonlight.

Mickey raised his head from his knees to peer through the bars of the cell. A menacing Heartless, which Mickey recognized to be a Dark Ball, caught his gaze. It narrowed, its vibrant, yellow eyes, and opened its wide, gaping mouth to reveal sharp fangs before floating away down the corridor lined with cells on both sides, its dark, smoky aura trailing behind it.

_So they are still relentless in their watch. No matter; it appears I will just have to wait for the right moment_, Mickey thought, glancing at a sleeping wolf Heartless with a keyblade in its mouth. _But I will wait as long as it takes. I can only hope that my letter to Sora had been received, and that Pegasus, that noble animal, was able to get the third keyblade to Kairi. It is Kairi and Sora that may be the worlds' only hopes, as well as mine. _

As if on cue, Mickey heard a faint whinny coming from the barred window. He looked up, seeing the face of a pegasus in the window, its curious, sparkling eyes beaming with a sense of accomplishment, its enormous, feathered wings keeping it aloft in the high reaches of the castle where the cells were located. Mickey whispered to it:

"Did you get the keyblade to Kairi?" Mickey questioned. The intelligent horse nodded, radiating with pride.

"Good boy. Now, get back to Hercules, and be careful; the Heartless are on their guard," he warned. With a quick nod of its head, the pegasus reversed its direction, flying away into the night sky.

_Keep safe, Pegasus, _Mickey thought_. If the Heartless found out that a third keyblade had chosen Kairi, and that it has been successfully received_, Mickey thought, grinning with satisfaction. _Then they would kill Pegasus and me both_. He shuddered at the thought.

Mickey uncurled his legs, wincing as old wounds were reopened. He had been savagely abused by the Heartless ringleaders, whom Mickey had yet to discover names for, in their attempts at interrogation. But he had held fast, and leaked not a word to his interrogators. But he wondered dimly how much more abuse he could endure, how much his battered body could take before giving up altogether. Now the only thing he could do was wait. Hope and wait.

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Kairi surveyed the Gummi Ship in awe of its sheer complexity. The interior was a colorful mix of blues and greens, in stark contrast to its outer red and yellow shell. Computers displaying the ship's status and numerous maps lined the walls. The front end had two seats fixated to the floor in front of what appeared to be a control panel, which was a mosaic of knobs, buttons, and levers.

_So this is the machine able to get Sora from world to world_, Kairi mused. _What a fantastic device! _She felt a surge of importance at being privileged enough to ride aboard such a machine, to see other worlds. _To see other worlds… _she thought, absorbing such an alien concept. The thought sent a rush of excitement through her. And yet another thought drained her mind of any semblance of excitement that may have been present. The thought of encountering more Heartless, the sight of which turned her blood cold, plagued her. She wondered if she could sum up the courage to fight them again, wondered if she could muster the strength just to even face those hellish beings again…

It was then that Sora boarded the ship, keyblade in hand. He flashed her a smile before seating himself in one the seats in front of the control panel. Kairi smiled back, warmth surging through her. _Maybe everything will be alright after all. Maybe with Sora around, I won't be afraid. _She took comfort in this thought, but memories of the Heartless still danced in back of her mind, mocking her and exacerbating her fear. She recalled the pain, the fear of battle, and….dare she think it? Becoming a Heartless. It was this memory that was the most fresh in her mind, the easiest to recall. She was able to bring back all the details of this experience, all the feelings, the strength, the abilities of the Heartless. So accurately was she able to recall her experiences as a wolf Heartless she thought white fur would sprout from her skin at any moment.

Goofy's tall, gangly form entered the ship along with the stout, irritable Donald. Goofy seated himself in the other front seat next to Sora, in front of the steering wheel. Pressing one of the many buttons of the ship's mess of controls, the ramp used to enter the ship folded upwards with a hiss to become part of the wall. Goofy looked back at her.

"Ya ready, Kairi?" he asked. She nodded. She guessed that at this moment, she was as ready as any. But if the ship did not take off soon, she feared that she may flee from the ship, and get as far away from this destiny as possible; from the peculiar experience that she still believed to a certain extent was somewhat of a nebulous, yet still realistic, dream.

To restrain herself, she gripped her seat more tightly, in preparation of embarking into a future unknown.


	2. Malfunction

Kairi was scarcely aware of the gentle vibrations of her seat until a sudden rock of the ship jolted her from a light sleep. Her eyes fluttered open, and she was briefly overcome with shock before being hit with the realization of where she was. The ship was dim-lighted, and her eyes took a few moments to adjust to the lack of light. She could make out the figure of Donald turning the steering wheel, his beak and the outline of his head silhouetted against the control panel. His concentration was remarkable; his large eyes looked at nothing more than what was ahead.

Kairi followed his gaze to the massive windshield of the ship. She gaped at the sight of outer space...true outer space. She was absorbed into the massive collection of glittering stars and distant comets, and was mesmerized by all their beauty against the darkness of the black abyss.

_The stars... _she thought. The beautiful, twinkling stars she had always stared up at in her childhood in awe, wondering what lie beyond the stars, musing over what it would be like to be closer to them. And here she was, a childhood dream come true...but her heart sank when she remembered why she was there. The stars seemed to twinkle much more dimly as she thought of the darkness that must be plaguing them, the disease of the loathsome heartless that took all forms of beauty and purity away from those things that most emanated such qualities.

It was then that Kairi became aware of the large object that stood in their path. A planet's colossal form loomed before them, its vast body stretching beyond Kairi's field of vision. Donald pulled a lever in control of the ship's speed in order to slow its progress, but to his utter surprise, the ship did not comply. His eyes widened, and Kairi read the expression on his face.

"What's wrong, Donald?" Kairi asked with a deep-seated hunch that his reply would not be heart-warming.

"The Gummi Ship isn't slowing down," he stated in a barely audible, yet unnervingly calm voice, his head not turning to face her. "We're going to have a head-on collision with the planet if the ship doesn't let up...," Donald trailed off, panic beginning to grow in his voice. At this point Sora and Goofy had awoken from their slumber due to the increased amount of jolts and overall turbulence the ship was experiencing. Goofy analyzed the situation, noticing the planet before them and the dangerous speed the ship was traveling. Kairi looked at Sora with an acute expression of worry.

"Donald, what are you doing!" Sora shouted as Donald took his hands off the steering wheel. Donald looked into his face with fearful eyes.

"The ship won't slow down, Sora. It's too late to steer away from the planet; it's already too close. We're going to have a collision," said Donald in a calm voice, although Kairi was able to pick up an undertone of panic. The Gummi ship jolted violently, throwing Kairi to the ground. Sora was immediately at her side.

"Donald! There has to be something we can do! We'll be killed if we hit head-on!" Sora yelled.

"I wish there were sometin' that could be done.." came Goofy's muffled voice from a corner of the ship. His eyes were downcast.

Kairi sat up, rubbing a point on her head that had struck the ground. Blood began to trickle from the spot. She stood, wiping it on her shirt.

"Sora, there's nothing we can do. The ship's going to crash," Kairi stated, her hand pressed against her cut forehead. Sora was silent. He embraced Kairi lightly. The ship continued to shake violently, sending the four sprawling to the floor. The four friends looked out at the windshield, realizing how dangerously close the planet was. The ship pushed on at its breakneck pace, unrelenting despite facing impending doom. The four stared at the windshield as the ship hit the planet's atmosphere, engulfing its shell in flame. The four drew close, bracing themselves for what was to come. Instinctively, Sora and Kairi gripped their keyblades simultaneously, for a reason they did not know. But the impulse seemed to come from the blades themselves.

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Riku stood up from where he sat, a secluded spot in the jungle that characterized Destiny Island. He had been just sitting, mulling over Kairi's inheritance of a keyblade and Sora's destiny to be with her. Rage flared up inside him, poisoning his heart with dark thoughts. Why had Sora been chosen as the keyblade master? Wasn't he just as worthy as Sora for such an important purpose? He was, after all, the stronger one, the older one, and at times the more daring one. He had always defeated Sora in whatever challenge, however insignificant, that Riku had thrown at him.

All of that had held true until the day Sora had been chosen to be the Keyblade Master, making him stronger, faster, more daring than Riku could ever dream of. If he had been chosen, he would be with Kairi, not Sora. And he would remain the stronger one, Sora's superior. _What does Sora have that I don't? _Riku thought in frustration. Rage again stirred inside him, and his eyes narrowed, his muscles tensed. He turned and punched a nearby tree with considerable force, making a slight indentation into the pliable bark.

"Why can't I be the Keyblade Master! Why can't I be with Kairi?" he shouted at nothing but the air. He winced as a cut he received from the wolf heartless, Kairi, reopened. This made him turn his thoughts to the Heartless._ So they have returned..._

"Come, child," came a strong, female voice. Riku whirled around to face the tall, grim form of Maleficent. Her thin, red lips curved into a sly smile.

"M-maleficent? But how?" Riku said in wonder, as memories of the witch flashed through his mind. He was almost certain Maleficent had been vanquished. Hadn't she?

"Explanations can come later, Riku," Maleficent said cooly. "I've been watching you for quite some time now, and I've seen your frustration grow, your anger manifest as envy plagued you in the presence of Sora and his keyblade. And now, Sora has not only become stronger than you, but has taken Kairi away from you as well, entwining her into _his_ destiny."

"Get to your point," Riku said in anger, his fists clenching at memories she brought back to him, of Kairi receiving a keyblde, of Sora taking Kairi away from him. Maleficent appeared to be satisfied with his rage.

"Do you want to be stronger than Sora? Do you want Kairi back?" she questioned soothingly. "I can make it happen for you, Riku. The ability lies within your heart, for you are stronger than Sora, as you always were. The Darkness inside you can give you power beyond your imagination, a power Sora will never have. Give in to the Darkness, Riku, unlock your strength!"

"Power beyond your imagination...power Sora will never have," Riku repeated. He met Maleficent's gaze with his ice blue eyes. "Will I really be able to get Kairi back?" Riku asked the witch.

"In a heartbeat. If you can defeat Sora in battle, Kairi would want to be with you. You would be stronger, more powerful. You can prove to her that you are more worthy of her affection than Sora. She will come back to you, Riku," Maleficent stated, flashing Riku the same sly smile. Absorbing this, Riku nodded.

"I'll do it," he said.

"Then think, child," said Maleficent. "Think of how Sora enrages you, think of how he stole Kairi away. Allow the rage to consume you, and turn your heart to Darkness! Let the Darkness consume you!" Riku allowed the memories of Sora to come to him, allowed to envy and frustration to manifest. Thoughts of Kairi being taken away brought his fury to a boiling point, to a point where he could not control it anymore. He began to quake with anger, and felt himself losing control. Black, wispy flames began to seep from his pores, engulfing his body.

"Yes! That's it, child! Return to Darkness! Return to Darkness!" she screamed. Riku felt changes coming over him. His rage, envy, and dark thoughts all melded into one force, a force he could no longer suppress if he tried. The changes came mentally first, changing his mindset to that of only Darkness. And then came the physical changes, and Riku cried out as his body began to twist into a new shape.

"Yes, Riku! Let the Darkness consume you!" And then she laughed, a cold, blood- chilling cackle that reverberated throughout the island. The sound penetrated the recesses of Riku's mind as the physical changes continued to make him cry out, and the laughter continued.


	3. A Bug's Life

Slowly, consciousness began to return to Sora. He began to become aware of his surroundings, and his senses were coming back to him. A breeze…was that what he felt? Sora mused as he became aware of an ever so slight cooling sensation. _I'm…alive?_ Sora thought, almost in disbelief. _Am I really alive? Or am I dead?_ Sora continued to think, unsure of which one had become his fate.

"Sora!" came an abrupt call that penetrated Sora's drowsy mind. He jerked awake…only to see the face of a monstrous creature.

"Aaaghhh!" Sora cried, jumping to his feet nimbly, his Keyblade materializing in his hand. "Get away from me!" Sora said, his keyblade poised. The creature was something out of nightmares, a colossal bug, furry and eight-legged, with two large, deadly pincers-which were twitching nervously-, and eight eyes that strangely reminded Sora of…

"Donald?" Sora said, his eyes widening, as he stared into the face of the colossal spider, recognizing more and more facial features of Donald. The blue eyes, the oddly shaped, white-feathered head, not like that of a spider. Even more, the spider's disposition, nervous and frightened, far from aggressive. Sora lowered his keyblade. "Donald, is that you?" Sora questioned. The spider appeared to relax whole-heartedly. Its pincers worked to form words.

"I was almost sure you were going to kill me!" came the unmistakable, nasally voice of Donald. His many eyes gave him an accusing stare.

"What happened to you?" Sora asked, examining Donald more closely.

"Me? What happened to _you_?" Donald questioned back.

Because of his preoccupation with Donald's rather grotesque appearance, Sora had failed to notice the changes of his physical appearance. His attention turned to his body as he silently scrutinized his mutations. His skin was hard and shiny; stained a deep blue hue. He stood upright, contrary to the typical stance of an insect, and, to Sora's disgust, had a total of six appendages, two of which were clearly meant to serve as legs, the other four of which ended with hands. His body was separated into three distinct parts: a head, a thorax, and a rather long and narrow abdomen, characteristic of a dragonfly. At that thought Sora glanced over his shoulder, and noticed two long, narrow, transparent, gossamer wings protruding from his back, thinly lined with a network of narrow veins. Sora twitched them experimentally. To Sora's relief, his head remained primarily the same, with the lone exception of the hard exoskeleton that covered his body. Sora held up his many hands.

"This….is disgusting," Sora stated simply.

"No, really?" Donald replied, rolling his numerous eyes.

"What happened to us?" Sora said, turning his attention back to Donald.

"I think it was the keyblades, Sora," Donald replied. "They must have changed us so we could live in this world, and--"

"As giant bugs!" Sora blurted. Donald grinded his pincers irritably.

"No! We're not exactly giant, Sora." He motioned with a bristly leg at the tall plants around them. Sora looked upwards, and realized that the towering plants around them were indeed grass, and that rocks that would normally have been pebbles were abnormally large. Satisfied, Donald continued.

"_And_, the keyblades must have also saved us from the crash."

"The crash!" Sora gasped. He had utterly forgotten, and concluded that he must have taken a harder hit than he thought. _How could I forget? _Sora thought. He flitted his wings nervously. "Do you know if everyone's okay? Where's Kairi? And Goofy?" Sora asked urgently.

Donald skittered away a few steps from the barraging Sora, as if fearing that Sora would come close to killing him again.

They're okay, Sora," Donald said hurriedly to calm him. "We split up looking for you. We were scattered after the crash, and we couldn't find you. I found you here unconscious," he explained. "The Gummi Ship's totaled, though…" Donald said depressingly.

"But at least we're all okay," came a familiar female voice. Sora whirled to face Kairi, who looked similar to him, except with two antennae and rather large butterfly wings, which were a colorful display of reds, oranges, and yellows. Kairi flashed Sora a smile. She was beautiful, even as an insect, Sora thought to himself. Goofy, in the form of an odd-looking black beetle, came lumbering behind her. His body was beetle-like, but his head remained primarily the same, with the exception of a large, bony, hornlike protusion taking the place of his nose. Kairi half walked, half flew to Sora, embracing him in an awkward, four-armed hug. Sora blushed, but the blue hue of his exoskeleton concealed it.

Goofy smiled at the two knowingly.

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Mickey looked up at the jingle of keys. A soldier Heartless, fumbling clumsily with the lock, opened the door and gave Mickey a blank stare with its yellow, orb-like eyes.

"Dim-witted creatures…," Mickey mumbled under his breath. It motioned to him to come forward with clawed, four-fingered hand. Mickey did as he was told, limping slightly on account of the beaten, scarred condition of his legs. Giving him another bovine look, the soldier heartless proceeded down the corridor, with the assumption that Mickey would follow. Another soldier Heartless appeared from a pool of black liquid, the typical entrance of a Heartless, and accompanied him, to be sure he didn't attempt to make a daring escape. But Mickey knew it was no use without his Keyblade, as he thought when he gazed at the wolf Heartless that held his Keyblade. It opened one glowing eye and followed his gaze a few brief seconds, letting out a low growl, before shutting its eye and returning to its peaceful slumber.

Mickey was led through a labyrinth of corridors, but it was a path he knew well, for he had gone to this place many a time during the period in which he had been held captive in the gloomy castle. The soldier in front of him opened two metal double doors at the end of a particularly shadowy corridor. As Mickey reached the end of the corridor, the soldier accompanying him rudely shoved him inside, causing him to fall forward. His already battered knees hit the stone floor with a _crack_, and his eyes welled up with tears for the pain he endured.

"Rise, King Mickey," came the chilling, commanding voice. He did so, standing upright as if he hadn't suffered any pain at all. The large, circular room was dimly lit with torches that lined the wall. The unnatural green flame of the torches flickered darkly, casting abnormal shadows on the walls that resembled Heartless. The shadows danced and shifted as did the creatures they resembled, and it gave Mickey and unnerving sensation, though this was not apparent in his impassive face.

The voice that had called to him was strangely familiar. A tall figure in a hooded, purple robe approached him. It held a long, thin staff in one hand, with a luminous green orb at its top. With its free hand, it lowered its hood. Mickey's eyes narrowed menacingly.

"Maleficent," he said with spite. She smiled brazenly.

"So you haven't forgotten me? I must say I'm humbled," Maleficent replied.

"Who could forget a _witch_ like you?" Mickey said with unbridled malice.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. We have an attitude yet, do we? That will change soon enough," she replied coolly. She paced around him. "So, King Mickey, my sources tell me you've been up to something. It's been all too…quiet…in your cell. Not enough mourning, not enough misery for my liking. Care to share anything?"

Mickey did not reply. He stood firm in his place, with his lips tight, his eyes narrowed. She eyed him curiously.

"Care to share anything, about what you've been up to? About a certain girl? Does the name 'Kairi' ring any bells?" she savored the word 'Kairi' as it left her lips. Mickey's expression softened. His mouth gaped slightly. Observing this, a satisfied smile crossed her face, and her eyes flickered with knowing. _How is it possible? How could she possibly know? Just keep yourself under control…stay calm._

"I have nothing to tell you," he replied in monotone, though his voice quaked slightly.

"I admire your courage, Mickey," Maleficent said. "But your actions…puzzle me. Why put yourself through this misery? Tell me about your plans, about your attempts to stop us. They will prove futile in the end, that I am certain of. "

"The Darkness will never prevail," Mickey said, meeting her gaze.

"Are you sure you won't tell me of your plans?" said Maleficent, ignoring Mickey's last comment and trying to conceal her annoyance.

"Never," Mickey replied.

"Then so be it," she replied. And then the orb upon her staff erupted in flame. Mickey braced himself for the pain that was to come.


	4. Exploration

Reunion finished, the group took a few moments to ogle each other's disfigured appearances. Kairi appeared to have been the most fortunate in her transformation, a fact that Donald envied greatly when his multi faceted vision began to give him a pounding headache. It was Kairi who broke the silence first.

"So...where to?" she said brightly, fluttering her colorful wings. She tried to forget the fact that they had crash landed on a planet in which they had no mode of transportation with which to leave.

"I guess we should just...walk. Somewhere. Anywhere. Seems like that's our only option," Sora suggested, shrugging. The others complied, and off they went through the towering grasses. Sora and Kairi led, having the advantage of bipedalism, while Donald skittered behind, followed by the lumbering Goofy.

The group walked for what seemed liked miles, tramping over what appeared to be boulders and pushing through grasses that were more than twice their width and thickness. The dense forest of blades blocked out the sun, throwing the four into speckled shadow. Kairi was in disbelief during the entirety of their travels. She had never been changed like this, she thought as she examined her multiple appendages and hardened skin. What other powers did the Keyblades possess that she did not know of? She practiced moving her second set of arms, thinking about how advantageous four hands could be. Kairi heard a scraping noise behind her, and turned her head to see Donald grinding his pincers together, clearly aggravated by their unprogressive travel. Finally he burst out in annoyance:

"This isn't getting us anywhere! We've been walking for hours, and I've seen nothing but grass, rocks, and dirt!" He picked up a sizable rock with his pincers and forcefully threw it into the grasses ahead. The party stopped abruptly at his outburst.

Sora put his head in his hands in exasperation. "Donald's right, you guys. We have no idea where we are or where we're going." He subconsciously flitted his wings in frustration.

"Gawrsh, Donald, we're tryin' the best we can. The only way to find out where we are is to explore. If only there was a way to see over all this grass..." He looked from Sora to Kairi, his eyes resting on Sora's narrow, gossamer wings and Kairi's enormous, ornate appendages. "I know! Sora, Kairi, y'all can fly can'tcha?" he exclaimed.

Kairi had completely forgotten she had wings. She spread them, admiring their sheer size and beauty. "Yes, I suppose we can. Right, Sora?"

"Right", he replied, giving his own wings an experimental flick.

"Then you two should fly up and take a good look around, and tell us if there's any sign of life or civilization," he advised. "Donald and I will stay right here and wait for ya to tell us where to go."

Sora smiled. "You're brilliant, Goofy!" Goofy beamed, and Sora then turned to Kairi. "Are you up for this?"

She returned his smile. "But of course."

Sora trusted his insect body to know what to do. At least, he sincerely hoped it knew what to do. He flitted his narrow wings, slowly at first, but then realized these unfamiliar appendages were teeming with energy. They moved faster on their own, and before long they were pumping so rapidly that they became a blur of motion. A humming noise filled the air, and Sora felt his body lift from the ground. He hovered there for a moment, only a few feet from the ground as he got used to the feeling, as his entire body felt as if it was vibrating. His antennae swiveled with excitement.

"C'mon, Kairi! Now it's your turn." Kairi watched him hover, and grew a bit nervous, having second thoughts about flying. '_You can do this, Kairi. Just suck it up and do it,_' she thought. She willed her wings to move, flapping powerfully once, twice. The force and strength of her wings forced her into the air after only a few flaps, sending a whoosh of air to the ground. The rigid hairs on Donald's body waved with the force of her beating wings. Kairi hung there, clumsily, for she could not hover nearly as well as Sora. She was forced to surge upwards to maintain her balance. Sora propelled himself into the air after her.

"Hurry back!" came Donald's screech. Sora watched him idly toss another rock, and laughed inwardly. '_Donald, Donald, Donald..._,' he silently chastised. He returned his attention to Kairi and soared higher, astounded at his speed and maneuverability. While he could stop in mid-flight, hovering this way and that, Kairi needed to be in constant motion. Her wings were larger, and thus more unwieldy. She sank and rose, drifting drunkenly this way and that. Sora had never noticed how butterflies flew, not until now at least, when he had a first hand perspective. What other subtle observations had he missed all his life? Perhaps there was so much more he had failed to notice in his life, so many simple things, even such trifle, yet beautiful things as the flight patterns of a butterfly.

Kairi swayed in circles around Sora, needing to be in constant motion to remain in flight, while Sora hung in one spot effortlessly, the sheer speed and intricate design of his wings allowing him to have this incredible maneuverability. He darted backwards and forwards, growing accustomed to flight, and then shielded his eyes from the sun with one of his arms. He squinted his dark blue eyes, and as his vision cleared, his heart sank. Sora saw nothing but an endless sea of long green grass, occasionally broken up by seemingly massive dandelions, fat with wispy seedlings and as fluffy as fresh cotton. The plants swayed rhythmically in the calm breeze. But there was something else, something beyond the field of green...there was dirt. Tan, parched earth surrounded this oasis of greenery, its surface only broken by a few large boulders. And beyond that? More green, an eternity away.

Sora abandoned Kairi for a moment, shooting higher. Turning, he realized that this beacon of life among an ocean of dry earth was on a rocky outcropping all its own, a pedestal jutting from a valley of lifeless earth. He traced the perimeter of their small island with his eyes, and beheld a tree at its edge. Sora's mouth stood agape at the colossal plant, surging higher for what seemed to be an eternity. Never had he seen a tree so large, at least, never had a tree appeared to be so large. It was the focal point of the island, the giver of life in this oasis, whose roots drew water from the entire ledge, and whose enormous, gnarled trunk cast protective shade on the grasses of this oasis. If there was any hope of finding civilization, it would be at the base of that tree.

He looked downward, observing Kairi in her clumsy flight. Her painted wings reflected the sun, giving him a perfect view of the monarch butterfly's beautiful display of color. She was more preoccupied with enjoying her new form than pinpointing their location. He folded his arms over his chest and hovered there, almost lying in midair, and closed his eyes, allowing the sun's rays to beat at the backs of his eyelids. And then, shadow. A dark shadow quickly passed over his field of vision, too quickly to be a moving cloud. Sora's eyes snapped open. A monstrous creature flapped far above him, circling and gliding in an unbroken pattern. '_No, not a monster. A bird,' _Sora thought. '_A huge bird._' The bird looked down, giving Sora a look that could kill. But Sora realized the bird wasn't looking at him. '_I'm in it's range of vision, but it's almost looking straight through me...'_ He followed the bird's gaze, turning his head to the ground, slowly. Kairi fluttered there, ever so peacefully, her ornate wings as bright as bullseye.

"Shit," Sora muttered. Returning his attention to the bird, he saw that it was still circling. Then it clipped its wings to its sides and began to plummet, straight toward Kairi. "Kairi, move!" he shouted to her.

Kairi floated as if she was in a dream. _'This is absolutely unbelievable. All of those years dreaming that I could fly. And now...' _She spread her four arms, feeling her own weightlessness. Her curled antennae blew back in the breeze.

"Kairi, move!" the shout snapped Kairi out of her trance. She looked up towards Sora's voice, and saw a monster rocketing toward her. She panicked, and her entire body seized at the confusion of her whirring thoughts. She looked at her empty hands. _'Oh, god, I don't have my Keyblade...'_ Thinking, she realized that she hadn't seen it since the crash. _'I'm gonna die...I'm really going to die...as a butterfly...' _

Sora saw Kairi panic, watched the speed of her wings increase ten fold...but she didn't move from the area. Sora willed his Keyblade to him, felt it materialize in his hand with a bright flash. He raced toward Kairi's attacker, feeling as if his wings would dislodge themselves from his body. Adrenaline gave him a boost of speed, and he found himself gaining on the plummeting bird. He pulled alongside it, the force of gravity at this speed becoming unimaginable, the wind whipping at his narrowed eyes. He saw himself reflected in the black pool of the bird's eye, three times the size of his own head. He saw the bird's eye shift toward him. Sora gave it a smug half smile, then lashed out with his blade. The bird squawked in surprise and agony, reeling back in mid-dive. The feathers around its neck began to soak with blood, and the bird dislodged its wings from its sides in an attempt to slow itself, but its momentum was too great. Sora heard two loud, sickening cracks as fragile bones in the bone's wings snapped. Unable to fly, the bird wheeled drunkenly, spiraling to the ground. He watched it land a few feet off from Kairi.

Sora began to slow his own rapid descent in degrees, not wanting to make the same fatal mistake the bird had made. Sora stopped hovering, still a foot above Kairi. He panted from his exertion, but found his insect body was incapable of sweating. He willed his keyblade to dissolve. Sora approached Kairi. She swayed back and forth in the same spot, and Sora noticed her head was lowered. There was a quiet sob.

He lifted her chin. "Kairi?" Her ocean blue eyes glistened with tears. "Kairi, what's wrong?" She met his gaze.

"I-it's gone?" she asked. Sora nodded. "Oh, Sora, I thought I was going to die...I didn't have my Keyblade and...I panicked."

"Your Keyblade is always with you, Kairi. You can make it come to you. I can't believe you didn't---" he stopped himself. '_Know,' _he finished silently. '_How I could I possibly expect her to know that? She's had a Keyblade for barely a week.' _ He felt horrible for becoming angry with her. He had not taken her inexperience into account. All of this...it was so new to Kairi. The danger, the chaos... _'It must be too much for her...' _

Kairi looked into his blue face. "Maybe this whole thing just isn't for me..."

"Kairi, that's not it. It's just--" but Kairi had begun her descent to ground, fluttering dejectedly.


	5. Flik

**NOTE: It may be a little while before the next chapter, but don't lose interest. I don't plan on giving up on the story. Life is just so busy, and I need time to write. In the meantime, enjoy the new section of the story.**

After landing, Sora was irritated to discover that Goofy and Donald were where he had left them. Kairi herself had also wandered elsewhere into the grasses. Too exhausted and annoyed to fly, he resolved to continue on foot. He didn't need to walk far.

"Don't touch it, Goofy! It's still alive!" came a distinctive nasally voice.

"Aw, with those injuries, I doubt it could do much damage. Besides, I don't think it would have a taste for hard-shelled beetles," he replied.

Sora turned to his left and tramped a little farther. He pushed two blades of grass aside, revealing Goofy, Donald, and Kairi clustered around the bird he had slain. At least, the bird he _thought_ he had slain. It lay on its side, flattening the grass around it and creating a clearing, its wings splayed out in unnatural angles, its neck matted with blood that continually pooled into the earth. Sora felt a pang of guilt for the pain he had caused it. He recognized the bird to be a sparrow, a common songbird, having mottled brown and white feathers. It appeared to be gargantuan compared to their new forms.

The bird's eyes twitched toward Sora, and fear fluttered across its face. Its eyes widened, and it chirped in panic, its taloned feet scrabbling at the earth beneath it in a pathetic attempt to stand. Its efforts were futile, as its mangled wings and injured neck would prevent from performing any such action. Sora's guilt deepened. The sparrow's struggles caught the attention of the crowd, and Goofy turned to him.

"Did you do this, Sora?" Goofy asked, a solemn look on his face. Sora hung his head.

"Well…uh..yeah," he replied, avoiding Goofy's gaze. He quickly added, "but it tried to eat Kairi, so I didn't really have a choice." The bird chirped meekly as if defending its actions.

"And it still wants to eat something!" Donald exclaimed.

Goofy gave him an accusatory stare. "It's hurt, Donald. I think food is the least of its problems." He turned to Sora. "I understand you were trying to protect Kairi, but you shouldn't go around hurting defenseless creatures. It's not a Heartless ya know, just another resident of this world trying to survive."

Donald cast a wary look at the sparrow. It reached out with its golden beak to nibble at one of Donald's wiry legs. Donald shrieked and skittered back a few steps. "Defenseless my a—" Goofy shot him a glare, silencing him before he could finish.

Sora realized Goofy was right. This creature was only a bird, doing what it felt needed to be done in order to live. Sometimes, when caught in the heat of the moment, Sora found himself unable to differentiate between those horrible monsters he had been fighting for so long and common creatures only doing what came naturally to them. Sora cast a hopeful gaze in Kairi's direction, but she turned away, avoiding his gaze. He felt as if a knife had been jabbed into his heart.

The bird had a spasm of pain, and Goofy turned toward it, sadness in his eyes. "Well, we can't just leave it here to die."

"Right," Sora affirmed, nodding. He looked toward Donald. "I'm gonna need your help for this." Donald gave the bird a look of hostility.

"But—" he began.

"Donald!" Goofy and Sora exclaimed. He sighed.

"Fine," he said with resignation. Sora approached the bird, which attempted to stand as fear overcame it.

"Sshhhhh," Sora said, raising his arms in submission. "It's okay, we're here to help." The bird ceased to struggle, but its muscles remained tensed. Its eyes were trained on Sora, and its chest heaved spasmodically. Donald skittered toward it, his staff materializing in his pincers. Sora willed his Keyblade to do the same. The bird's eyes widened, but it remained still, short of its open-mouthed, heavy breathing.

"Curaga!" the two said in unison. Goofy observed, his magic skills being highly limited. Kairi also watched, ashamed that she did not know how to perform magic. '_I'm so useless…' _she thought to herself_. 'So positively useless...' _

A ray of green light shot out from the end of Sora's keyblade, while Donald's staff did the same. The bird flinched as the twin beams hit it, and it squeezed its eyes shut. Slowly, but surely, the bird began to change. Sora watched as the wound around the bird's neck began to reconstruct itself, the muscles and tissue reconnecting, growing and healing at a supernatural rate. Blood drew up from the ground, flowing back into the wound and filling the bird with new life. Sora felt his body heat up; he had never performed a cure spell on this great a scale. Donald, too, was showing signs of strain.

"C'mon, Donald. Just a little more...," Sora assured him. Donald focused on his patient with newfound vigor. After its neck had healed, its wings began to undergo change. They snapped into their original places, bones setting and refusing themselves all on their own. The entire delicate structure of the bird's wings was creating itself anew. The bird kept its eyes shut, frightened and trembling, entirely unaware of what was happening. Kairi watched the bird heal, and realized what power Sora and his friends possessed. _'If only I could perform such miracles, if I only I could do such things with __**my **__Keyblade...'_ She attempted to look at her Keyblade, but then realized she did not know how to make it appear. She sighed in dejection.

Sora withdrew the spell, breathing heavily. Donald did the same, though he was not as exhausted as Sora. Physically, mentally, and now magically, Sora was spent. This was too eventful of a day.

Slowly, the bird opened its eyes, revealing the sparkling black pools beneath. Its breathing returned to normal, and it moved its head, shocked to discover it did not cause its body any pain. It drew its wings to its sides, and with one final effort, jumped to its feet. Its right side was caked with brown earth from lying on its side, but other than this, the sparrow was good as new. Donald stepped back, fearing that the strengthened bird would attempt to turn him into a much needed snack. It twitched its head this way and that, examining the group of bugs before it that were looking curiously up at it. These were not the typical creatures it preyed on every day. They were different, more intelligent. They had harmed it and then miraculously healed its injuries. These were not creatures worth trying to eat. It cast a look at the particularly tasty looking butterfly, opening and closing its bright wings ever so slowly. Hunger stung at the bird, but looking at Sora, with the weapon that had harmed him, the bird decided the butterfly was not worth the effort. It spread its dappled wings and launched itself into the air.

Sora was blown over with the force of the bird's beating wings. He shielded his eyes from the sun and watched it fly away into the distance. Goofy smiled, satisfied with their work.

"Now that that's over with...where do we go now?" Donald stated, looking over questioningly at Sora and Kairi. Sora wracked his brain, trying to recall what he had seen before the bird attack. He relayed the layout of the land to his companions. Finishing, he realized he had forgotten something.

"Oh!" he exclaimed. "There's one more thing. There was this tree— "

"There you are! I've finally found you!"

The group turned toward the foreign voice. A creature approached them from the nearby grasses. No, not just any creature. A light blue ant. It was bug-like, but stood erect like a human, with only two arms and two legs. Its head was remarkably human-like, but with abnormally large blue eyes and a lack of a nose. Sora spoke first.

"Um...and you are?" Sora questioned. The ant stopped short, then clapped a hand to his forehead.

"Oh, of course! Silly me! I'm Flik, official inventor of the colony of Ant Island." He extended a hand to Sora, who took it with a bit of uncertainty. Flik shook vigorously, bursting with excitement. Sora smiled at his infectious energy.

"And we're—" Sora began.

"The bugs I've been searching for!" Flik interrupted.

"Uh, excuse me?" Sora said. Donald stepped in.

"We're not really bu—" Donald began.

"Heroes? But of course you are!" Flik exclaimed, waving his arms wildly. Sora put two of his arms on Flik's shoulders, silencing him.

"Woah, woah, woah. Slow down. What are you talking about?" Sora said.

"Yes...please explain," Kairi chimed in.

"_Slowly_," Donald emphasized.

Flik's head turned from one face to another, alive with nervous excitement. He faced Sora. "I saw you attack that bird to save your pretty friend," he said, casting a look toward Kairi. "I'm assuming these other two finished it off." He indicated to Goofy and Donald. Kairi crossed her four arms over her chest, embarrassed at having being singled out as the defenseless damsel-in-distress. Flik continued. "Anyone who can take down a bird must be the fighting bugs I'm looking for! The ones who can help the colony defeat Hopper and his followers!"

"Pardon my asking," Goofy called. "But who's Hopper?"

"Hopper is the leader of the grasshoppers. He and his gang have been forcing my colony for years to gather grain for the grasshoppers every year. Most times we scarcely have enough food for ourselves to last through the winter. I'm tired of being pushed around, my colony is tired of being pushed around. I've been wanting to stop it, but my colony insists that there's nothing we can do, or the grasshoppers will kill us." Flik hung his head. "And then I made a huge mistake. I was working on my brilliant grain picking invention, when I accidentally knocked over the grain harvest we had been storing up for the grasshoppers into nearby water." He paused, swallowing, as if ashamed to go on. "Hopper saw, and said he would forgive us if we could gather twice the amount of grain before autumn. At this late in the season, we'll never get enough food. We'll starve trying to feed our so-called "protectors"."

"That's horrible," Goofy said.

Flik brightened. "But even though it's my fault, I begged the royal council to let me go out and gather an army, so that we can defeat the grasshoppers! I've been looking everywhere for the warrior bugs that can help me. I've already gathered a few...but we need more. Will you help us?" He looked earnestly into Sora's face. Sora struggled to absorb all of this information.

"Just give me a second, Flik. Let me talk it over with my friends." Sora motioned for them to come closer. They huddled close together, keeping their distance from the over-eager Flik.

"He's...uh..quite a character, isn't he?" Sora began. Donald rolled his eight eyes.

"Tell me about it," Donald said, flexing his pincers.

"Still, he's in trouble. His colony probably isn't too happy with him, and it sounds like this Hopper fella means business," Goofy chimed in. "It would only be right to help him. Besides, I haven't seen any sign of the Heartless on this world." Sora nodded in agreement. Donald rolled his eyes again.

"The voice of reason, as always," the tarantula said. Sora chuckled at his remark.

"He's right, Donald. We should help. Besides, how much trouble can a few grasshoppers cause?" Sora paused, putting his four arms behind his head. "Hey, Donald, being that they are ants, and that they collect food-- a lot of food—you just may get a chance to fill your stomach," he continued, smirking. Donald's eyes widened. Sora watched drool begin to collect at his grotesque fangs.

Sora smiled. "Aw, Donald, that's disgusting...but I take that as a "yes". Anything to add, Kairi?" Sora said, a hopeful expression on his face. Kairi avoided his gaze.

"No," was her one word reply. '_She feels awkward around me...because she can't do the same things I can... Oh, why did I make her so painfully aware of her inexperience?' _Sora thought. Kairi's diffidence pained him. She was always so bubbly, so happy. This was not the Kairi he knew. Goofy's eyes took on a concerned expression. He, too, recognized a change in Kairi, but was unaware of the cause of this change.

Sora wrenched his gaze away from Kairi, and turned toward Flik, who had gone from unbelievably excited to having a nervous breakdown. He stood with his eyes fixated to the ground, twiddling with one of his slender antennae.

"Flik?" Sora said, putting a smile on his face. Flik looked up, instantly attentive, a hopeful look in his eyes. "We'll help you."

"You will?" he said, clapping, his smile stretching from ear to ear. Well, he didn't have ears, but you get the point. "Well then c'mon!" He motioned with his hand for them to follow. "It's a long walk back to colony." The group nodded unanimously, following Flik out of the clearing of flattened grass and into the wilderness beyond.


	6. Oblivion

The night was blacker than King Mickey ever remembered it being. He lay curled up in a fetal position, a ball of thinning fur and partially healed wounds. His back was torn, the remains of some horrible burn causing the skin to fester and blister. His arms were bruised and battered, and his legs were of a similar condition, except that his left leg was shattered to the point where he could scarcely move it without crying out. His head rested against the cold slab of stone that served as the cell's flooring, his ears limp against his head. He was unrecognizable, a mere shadow of the great king he once was. King Mickey struggled to control his emotions. The pain coursed through his body, nerve cells firing signals of distress to his brain, begging him to scream, to moan, to do _something. _But he would not give Maleficent the satisfaction of hearing him cry. The noble king would rather die than stoop so low. He grinded his teeth, struggling to remain silent, to ignore his agony. All he saw was darkness, without so much as a beam of moonlight to lessen the oppressive obscurity of this night.

King Mickey knew they were watching—the Heartless. He knew they must be turning this into a game. How long would King Mickey fight? When would he give in? Then again, Heartless were not capable of such thought. He turned his head toward the stone door, struggling to peer through the thick darkness into the corridor beyond his cell. He saw two twin balls of light, the eerie yellow eyes of a dark ball, one in particular that frequented his cell. The orbs bounced up and down, ever so slowly, indicating that the creature was levitating, just watching. Below this set of eyes was a smaller pair, hell-fire red, like burning coals. The wolf heartless that kept guard over his Keyblade. King Mickey had never seen the likes of such Heartless. While the Heartless he had grown accustomed to were almost comical in appearance, the wolf Heartless were satanic by comparison. King Mickey feared that this meant the darkness was thickening, causing the evolution of newer, more powerful Heartless. The wolf Heartless were possibly only one manifestation of such a new breed of heartless, Heartless capable of greater thinking, perhaps even plotting. Such intelligence could serve to be a problem for Sora and the others…

The wolf Heartless looked into Mickey's eyes, having the ability to see in such complete darkness. King Mickey followed the fiery embers with his own tired eyes. He saw the eyes dart quickly left and right, and realized the creature was shaking its head, making his Keyblade jingle. '_It's taunting me…a Heartless is taunting me. What other cruel behaviors are these new Heartless capable of?' _Mickey attempted to will his Keyblade to him, finding that some unseen force blocked him. An aura of darkness, shielding his Keyblade from his demands. '_Maleficent has really outdone herself this time. Using the strength of these new Heartless, she has harnessed enough power to prevent me from willing my Keyblade into my arms. I can't go on like this… If I can't cast a cure spell on myself soon I may very well—_' he gulped '_die_.'

'_NO_!' he thought, shaking his head. '_Not yet. I'm not ready to die yet. I won't die yet. I'll survive until I escape or Sora, Donald, Goofy, and Kairi come for me_.' He glanced at the blood-red eyes. They narrowed, and he heard a low growl.

'_Sora, please get here soon_,' he silently pleaded.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Dawn came. Well, not in the sense of the sun rising. Rather the moon rose, casting dismal light upon this world of eternal darkness. But at least King Mickey could see _something_. King Mickey turned his head, watching the wolf heartless, which had again fallen into a dreamless slumber, the Kingdom Key clenched in its powerful jaws. Its sides rose and fell with the intake of oxygen. Did Heartless breathe? Or did they simply feign such lifelike behaviors? _'How could this Heartless have so much dark power that it can take my Keyblade from me? How?!' _

A disturbance. A puddle of oily liquid pooled at the entrance to his cell, and a blue-clad soldier Heartless emerged, a pair of keys in its scarlet claws. _'Not again…so soon. I'm not ready for more interrogation, more torture.' _ After fingering them for a few seconds, as its overgrown claws prevented it from manipulating such human contraptions with ease, it inserted a key into a lock and twisted. The barred door eased open with a groan. The Heartless stared for a few moments, then motioned with its hand for Mickey to come. But King Mickey found he was unable to stand; his only had full use of one of his legs. After a few moments, a wolf Heartless emerged from behind him. It approached, growling, and began to prod Mickey's singed back with its horns. Mickey yelped, and the Heartless pulled its lips back in a wolfish grin. The mouse pushed himself up with his arms, positioning his right leg so that he could stand. He leaned his all his weight on this leg, letting the left drag uselessly. The wolf Heartless gave him another prod, softer this time, to the door. Mickey hopped on his leg, gritting his teeth all the while. The stout soldier Heartless, registering his movement, clamored down the hall, assuming King Mickey would follow. The wolf Heartless trailed behind him, followed by the keyblade-wielding wolf. The two wolves grinned at each other, sharing some malicious bond and enjoying the spectacle Mickey was creating out of walking. They went down the familiar path, weaving through dark stone corridors before arriving at the metal double doors, rusting with age. They swung inward on their own, revealing the circular room with the lurid green glow. Mickey hobbled inside, followed by the two wolf Heartless. The soldier disappeared into the black abyss from which it came.

A huge green flare launched upwards before King Mickey, revealing Maleficent's thin form when it faded. Her thin, red lips curved into a satisfied half-smile at the sight of King Mickey in this weakened state. But she would not kill him, not yet anyway. She needed him for information about the Keyblade's secrets, and to lure Sora and the others into her waiting arms. Once the Keyblade wielders had been destroyed, and she had figured out how she herself could manipulate such a powerful weapon, Kingdom Hearts would be hers. Ultimate power would be hers.

"King Mickey…" she mused. "Your pathetic appearance shames your title." She watched his dark eyes narrow. They were still vibrant with vigor and bravery, two pools of life staring out of a decaying body. He remained silent, but she sensed the pain that wracked his body. She watched the wolf Heartless lick their chops, detecting the weakness in him. '_You'll have your piece of him, my darlings…just wait_,' she thought.

"No need to put on such a show of courage, Mickey. We all know it's wavering." The sorceress circled him, the pounds of her staff on the floor echoing. Mickey's eyes remained trained ahead of him, focusing on the dancing shadows of various species of Heartless flickering on the walls. She paused behind him, poking him gently with her staff. He fell forward, landing on his elbows. Pain resonated through every inch of his spine. King Mickey forced himself up, his good leg trembling with the effort of holding himself upright.

"If it were always this easy to reduce a Keyblade wielder to his knees, I would have done it long ago. But times are favorable now. The darkness is spreading, thickening. The Heartless grow more powerful by the day. Everything is in place...except for one key component..." Maleficent circled to face him again, and then the sorceress motioned to the Keyblade-wielding wolf Heartless. It came at her call, brandishing the blade as if it were a chew toy. She stroked the underside of its chin, and it gave a low, playful growl, as docile as a kitten. Mickey was almost sick to his stomach. She took the Keyblade from its jaws, giving it a few awkward, experimental swings. King Mickey laughed inwardly at her inability to handle the weapon.

"No strength, no power, no magical aura at all about it. I've managed to corrupt the mental connection between you and your Keyblade...but without its owner, it might as well be used as a metal club." She swung it at the black wolf in detest, but the blade passed through the creature as if it were a ghost, invincible without the power of the Keyblade to stop it.

"Tell me, _Your Highness_, how do I unlock the wonderful abilities of this weapon? Hm?" she teased. Mickey tensed, and raised his voice.

"Do you honestly expect me to answer that question?" he retorted. _'Maleficent will never be able to wield a Keyblade, for they only lend their powers to the owners they have chosen. Only those with the strongest, purest hearts will be chosen to be Keyblade masters. As long as the Keyblade stays out of my grasp, it is devoid of its mystical power...'_

She smiled, a cruel, wicked smile, and returned the Keyblade to the eager wolf Heartless, which proceeded to gnaw on it like a chew toy. "In time, my dear, in time. When the situation is hopeless, when you see that your friends cannot save you and that there is no other path but darkness, you will tell me, for there is nothing more you can do. And after you finish speaking, I will kill you. But let us not think about such wonderful things, for though they are near, what is important is the present. I'll go soft on you today, King Mickey, for I have other matters to attend to such as finding and obliterating your friends." She laughed manically, the harsh tone of her voice echoing throughout the circular room. The witch composed herself, and then continued. "As for the reason I have summoned you...I believe you'll enjoy this little treat I've prepared. I've brought you a friend. Perhaps I'll allow you two to share a few words of conversation before I contain you in your prison again. The Heartless will escort you out." Maleficent gave him a mock bow, demeaning him. "Have a lovely night, Your Highness." She then dissipated into emerald flames, leaving Mickey alone with the Heartless.

King Mickey allowed himself to collapse, exhausted with the effort of standing and hiding his pain. He gasped with the effort of merely staying conscious. _'She knows everything...about Kairi, about her Keyblade. Luckily, she isn't ready to kill me yet, which gives me more time. I need to contact Sora...I have the strongest mental bond with him. I'll have to attempt a mental message, for having Pegasus come to me again would be too risky...I won't put his life in danger. If only I knew where Sora and the others are...if only I knew where __**I **__was__...'_

He looked ahead, his thoughts interrupted, and noticed a familiar black pool forming a few feet from him. The size of this puddle was enormous, and the tar-like substance bubbled and swirled voraciously. A black, clawed hand reached out from the abyss, grappling for a hold on the stone flooring. An identical hand silently slapped down next to it, and a monster hoisted itself silently from the pool. Mickey stayed on the ground, not having accumulated enough energy to stand again. The King noted that Heartless was similar to an Invisible, but was by far its superior. It stood over seven feet tall, an entirely black, man-like figure rippling with muscle. Dark flames danced about it, flickering with life all their own. The creature flaunted large, eagle-like wings, the sheen of its metallic feathers the darkest ebony. Between its shoulders rested a humanoid head with a pointed chin and two horn-like protrusions. Had the naive mouse been exposed for such things, the Heartless could have been misconstrued for Satan himself. It stepped forward on two horse-like legs, cloven hooves echoing throughout the chamber. Mickey scarcely knew what to say, let alone do. This was by far the most powerful Heartless he had ever laid eyes upon, and it was absolutely terrifying. _'Is this my death sentence? Is my "visitor" to be my executioner? So much for extra time...'_

"My name is Oblivion," it stated in a deep, booming voice, a voice that did not appear to come from the creature, but from the walls surrounding him. It was hollow, distant voice, completely devoid of emotion.

"I wasn't aware that Heartless could speak, let alone have names," Mickey boldly retorted. The King noticed a few dark feathers rustle in irritation._ 'Does it have emotions? Apparently there is still much I need to learn about these new Heartless...if I live that long.' _Mickey mused.

"Ah, but that is where you are wrong. I am a superior Heartless, with an intellect far above these other lowly creatures," it stated. It smiled horrifically, revealing two rows of yellowing fangs. Mickey recoiled at the sight.

"What makes you so far above the other Heartless, if you kill with just as much pleasure and if you are composed of the same darkness as they are?" Mickey questioned. He reasoned that if he was going to die, he might as well speak his mind. The creature grinned maliciously.

"You are foolish, mouse. I have the ability to reason moreso than any of the others. Unlike them, I can savor the pleasure of killing. I can remember the pain of my victims, feel them writhe as the life drains from them." He clenched a clawed fist, as if reminiscing about murder right then and there.

"You disgust me. Monster, though you claim superiority, you are no better than any lowly shadow. You kill because your Heartless instinct tells you to; your reasoning abilities are far weaker than you claim. Killing is all a Heartless knows. That is there purpose. The Heartless are a pathetic race indeed," Mickey replied.

Oblivion tensed, its eyes narrowing. It lifted a hoof to step forward, but instead stomped back into place, the sound reverberating. Mickey met the monster's glare. "If you enjoy death so greatly, why don't you just kill me? I can hardly move, after all." At this point, Mickey scarcely cared about his imminent death. He would not die without irritating this hellish being to its last nerve.

"If I only could, rodent. If I only could. I am beholden to my master, for with our combined power we shall rule the universe and plunge it into darkness. My orders were not to kill you, not yet anyway. It appears Maleficent still has use for you," Oblivion replied, seething with anger.

"Then why were you sent to me?" Mickey questioned honestly, for he was certain Maleficent had not been serious about needing him any further.

"That, I do not know. I was sent to meet the prisoner, but was commanded not to kill him. She gave me no further direction. I assume I am here to serve as a threat, to help you to realize that with such power on Maleficent's side there is no way for the Keybearers to prevail." The satanic creature again flashed Mickey that grotesque smile.

"In frightening me, you have failed miserably," he replied. The creature laughed, a deep, guttural sound that resounded throughout the room for a few moments, bouncing off the walls.

"You amuse me, mouse. You lie on the ground crippled and unarmed, close to death, and you have the audacity to claim you are not frightened? The Keybearers are more foolish then I imagined." Oblivion plucked King Mickey's keyblade from the wolf's jaws. It growled at him, but with a stern glare from the being that towered over it it bowed its head in submission, and sulked away towards the door. The monster held the blade over its head, examining it, the steel blade reflecting a lurid green from the torches around the chamber.

"Such a meager, unassuming weapon. Yet it has slain so many of my kind..." Oblivion mused. As the monster scrutinized the weapon, the Keyblade's metallic luster reflected enough of the emerald flames to cast light on the monster's face. It was then that Mickey noticed the creature's aquamarine, nearly ice-blue eyes. He had failed to notice such a detail in the dim chamber. Ordinary Heartless did not have such eyes...

"Riku?" the mouse questioned. Mickey watched the creatures eyes widen, as if the name clicked in its mind. The Heartless cast a gaze in Mickey's direction, and the mouse could have sworn that for one split second, their was true recognition in the monster's eyes. A brief flash illuminated the room. The Heartless abruptly turned its head to face its hand. The Keyblade was gone. Another flash. Mickey felt his Keyblade materialize in his hand. The mouse looked at his Kingdom Key in awe, then looked at the monster in confusion. The Heartless looked equally dumbfounded, but then its eyes narrowed. The Keyblade reappeared in the monster's hand. Looking at the Keyblade suspiciously, the monster flung it toward the door with considerable force, slicing through the submissive wolf Heartless painlessly. It proceeded to claim its prize and began once again to bite into its hilt.

"Maleficent said she had the Keyblade under control. Stupid woman," the monster said to no one in particular. It turned its head to Mickey. "My name is Oblivion," the monster said nonchalantly, as if Mickey's address to him had not phased the winged creature in the least. It hastily dissolved into a pool of darkness.

The two wolf Heartless, relieved to see the monster gone, reassumed their authority. They did not hesitate to prod the battered king back to his cell.


	7. Reconciliation

The five bugs stomped through the grasses, with Flik leading, Kairi and Donald behind them, and Goofy and Sora trailing behind. Flik spoke incessantly, waving his arms wildly in excitement, yammering on about the colony, his queen, and the grasshoppers. After about two hours, the group learned to tune him out. For the most part, aside from Flik, they walked in silence.

"I think we're headed toward that tree I started to tell you guys about," Sora said to Goofy, who lumbered alongside him. "It's the only place I can think of that could support an entire ant colony with food. I'm worried about the Gummi Ship though. How're we gonna get back?" Sora began to speak endlessly, as if Flik's disease had worn off on him. In reality, he was making small talk, trying to forget about the events of the day. There was a pause, silence drew out between the two friends. Goofy seemed to be lost in thought, then he spoke.

"Sora, what happened between you and Kairi?" The question hit Sora like a ton of bricks. This was the exact conversation he had been trying to avoid. Sora looked ahead, spotting Kairi's luminescent wings, and decided she was too far away to hear him. He kept his eyes focused on the ground. _'So Goofy had noticed.'_

"It was when the bird attacked, Goofy. She didn't know how to will her Keyblade to her, and then she panicked. I had to save her, and I guess she felt...I don't know..inadequate. Maybe she thinks that she's always gonna panic when facing danger, or that she's weak. I was almost shocked when I found out she didn't know how to make her Keyblade come to her. I suppose I took my own experience for granted. She noticed, and decided that maybe she wasn't meant to be a Keyblade wielder... She hasn't talked to me since," Sora finished, almost glad to get that bit of information off his chest.

"Gawrsh, Sora, I had no idea," he said, even though Sora knew he did. He always knew; he just wanted Sora to talk about it. Sometimes Sora was amazed my Goofy's intuition and intelligence. "Ya know, maybe you should go talk to her. She can't really ignore you forever. I think if anyone can draw her out of her depression, you can." Sora smiled inwardly.

"You really think so?" Sora asked.

"Ahyuck, I know so," he replied. Sora looked ahead wistfully at Kairi. Wordlessly, he jogged up to Kairi, pulling up on her left side. Donald took the hint from Sora's gaze and dropped back to walk with Goofy. Flik's mouth continued to run with no end in sight. Kairi was aware of his presence, but made no mood to acknowledge it.

"Kairi," he began. She didn't reply, but Sora knew from a twitch of her curled antennae that she was listening. "Kairi, about earlier...I'm sorry. I overreacted, and...um..I don't want you to be ashamed of what you can't do, what you can't do yet anyway. And— "

"You don't understand, Sora," she suddenly said, cutting him off. "I feel so...useless. I'm not as strong as you, I can't do magic like you can, and I'm always so...scared. I can't so much as think about the Heartless without shuddering. Sometimes I wonder why the Keyblade chose me, instead of someone else..."

"Don't talk like that, Kairi. You're just inexperienced, that's all," Sora stated as soothingly as possible.

Kairi wheeled on him. "Tell me, Sora. Did you ever panic when you saw the Heartless? Did you ever have trouble making your Keyblade appear, or performing magic?"

"Kairi I— " he began.

"Answer the question, Sora," Kairi demanded.

"No," he finally said, though reluctantly. He looked at the ground. "It just—"

"came naturally to you," she finished. "That's my point. None of this comes naturally to me. I don't know what to do, and I don't understand why on earth the Keyblade would have chosen me. I'm so frustrated, Sora. Maybe my heart just isn't as strong as yours." Sora couldn't believe what he was hearing. This was Kairi, the seventh Princess of Heart, the girl who he had fallen in love with for her strength and her purity. This was the girl that had become a malicious Heartless, and had fought with its instincts until the end, until she could bring herself back into her own body. If Kairi didn't have a strong heart, no one did.

"Kairi, you're the strongest person I know. The only reason I learned so quickly, Kairi, the real reason was because of you. I fought because I needed to, because your life hung in the balance. I fought for you. Only for you. Without you, I wouldn't be nearly as strong as I am today. I wouldn't even have a fraction of that strength." Sora felt the words flow of his tongue, felt his feelings for her come out into the open. He had never spoke to her like this before, even though they both understood what they had between them.

Kairi felt her face turn hot. She couldn't stop the tears that came to her eyes. Before she could stop it, a single salty droplet fell from her eye, staining the earth below it with a soft plop. _'Oh, Sora. Why are you so irresistibly sweet? Why can't I stay mad at you?' _She wiped the tears away from her hard face, briefly disgusted at the feeling of the hard, black exoskeleton. Kairi smiled.

"Teach me, Sora. I'll give this whole thing another chance, if you'll teach me to be stronger, to be more like you," she said, looking into his deep blue eyes for the first time in what felt like ages. His dazzling smile made her melt, even if it was embedded in the face of an insect. She noted that his face looked primarily the same, except with blue skin, antennae, and a lack of ears. She laughed inwardly. They all looked rather ridiculous, didn't they?

"Of course!" he said, practically bursting with excitement.

"Promise?" she teased.

"Promise," Sora affirmed.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

As night fell, Flik commanded the party to halt.

"We're nearly there, but I want to make a big entrance in the morning. No need to wake the entire colony. The others are nearby. I'll introduce you to them in the morning."

"Others?" Kairi mouthed to Sora.

Sora shrugged. "The other "warrior bugs", I guess," Sora whispered back. They looked back at Flik, who was fast asleep on the ground, his head resting on a small rock. Donald eyed him in distaste.

"We're supposed to just go to sleep right here? Without food?" The party didn't respond, for Goofy had fallen asleep standing. Sora and Kairi rested a short distance away from Flik, having followed the ant's example.

"Aw, phooey," Donald sighed. He fell fast asleep a few minutes later.


	8. The Crew

Sora felt himself being drawn from the sweet ecstasy of sleep. His mind began to drift from its state of numb consciousness, and he felt himself returning to the real world. The keybearer's senses began to return to him; he felt the warmth of the sun beating at the backs of his eyelids, heard the wind whistling in his ears. _'When I get up, I'll go down to the shore with Kairi. We'll run through the crashing waves, chasing those little fish she always liked...just like the old times. Destiny Islands has never been so beautiful...' _he thought dreamily. His eyes opened, slowly, letting the beams of sunlight briefly blind him. But it was not the sky that greeted him. Sora saw two twin bug faces, wide-eyed, their focus trained on him. He screamed, startling the creatures. This was not Destiny Islands.

Sora jumped to his feet, reminding himself of his horrific appearance and where exactly he was. "I hate bugs..." he grumbled. Sora turned to face the two pill bugs responsible for his rude awakening. They stood at his knee level, wide-eyed and trembling.

"Sorry, guys, I didn't mean to scare you..." The twins looked at him blankly, their fear fading, and then exchanged a few words of unintelligible conversation. 

"Sora!" came a chipper voice. The keybearer drew his focus away from the stout creatures to see Flik coming toward him, waving an arm in the air. "Sorry if these guys frightened you...they like to wander. This is Tuck and Roll. Tuck and Roll, this is Sora." One of the bugs muttered something to Sora, extending one of his arms. Sora shook it hesitantly. 

"Do they speak—"

"English? No, I'm afraid not. But it seems like they understand us pretty well...so it works...if you like one-sided conversations. Anyway, the others are through those grasses over there, if you'll just follow me," Flik finished, turning back the way the came. The pill bugs hobbled after him. 

Sora looked about him, realizing his friends were gone. He followed Flik, forcefully pushing through a few thick, supple blades of grass into a clearing, where a whole parade of bugs of all shapes and sizes greeted his awaiting eyes. Flik shouted to get their attention.

"Everyone, this is Sora. He's the other warrior bug I was talking to you about. I guess we'll start introductions over again." The group nodded unanimously, mumbling amongst themselves. Flick motioned first to a relatively tall, gangly green insect with bulging eyes and a serious composure. "This is Manny." From the name and the appearance, Sora could only assume the creature was a praying mantis. The impassive insect gave a polite nod. "Gypsy, his wife." She was a delicate, beautiful moth, with wings as bright as Kairi's folded at her pack, a pleasant mix of blues and purples. Light gold hair bloomed at her chest and coated her body, giving her a soft appearance. She batted her long eyelashes. 

"Pleased to meet you," Gypsy stated sweetly. 

"Dim," Flik continued, pointing to a fierce looking rhinocerous beetle, which was the same species of insect as Goofy but was at least twice as large and colored a deep blue. "Slim, Heimlich, Francis, and Rosie," he finished, picking out an extremely tall, slender stick bug, a gluttonous pale green caterpillar, a ladybug, and a black widow spider. Sora struggled trying to remember the names and faces of all these new acquaintances. He looked around, spotting Kairi and the others casually chatting with the bugs. He gave the group a once over. Short of the rhinocerous beetle, this motley group of creatures did not give the impression of warrior bugs. Were these the bugs Flik really hoped would save his colony?

Sora walked over to Donald, who was chatting with the lady bug. "So how does it feel?" Donald was saying.

"How does what feel?" Francis replied in a surprisingly deep voice.

"Oh, you know. Being one of the only female warriors in this grou—"

"Female?!" the bug roared, the masculinity of the voice more apparent now. "Why I oughta... Let me make this clear to you, buddy. Just because I am in fact, a _lady_bug, it does not make me a girl!" He gave Donald a forceful whack across one of his pincers. Donald flinched, stepping back. Sora stepped in, resting a hand on the insect's heaving shoulders.

"Woah, woah, woah. Relax...Mr...uh..Francis," Sora stated, proud that he remembered the name. "I'm sure Donald didn't mean to offend you. Right Donald?"

"Right!" Donald affirmed, refusing to step any closer to the furious scarlet insect. Francis gave Donald another glare, but then composed himself.

"You're right, kid. You just don't know how many times I've been mistaken for a girl. It gets to you after a while," Francis said to Sora. Donald mustered the courage to continue to speak to Francis, and Sora joined in, finding the ladybug to be quite a character.

Kairi spoke nearby with the glossy, onyx spider by the name of Rosie. Her white face stood in stark contrast to her otherwise black body. She waved her arms this way and that as she spoke, and Kairi noticed that unlike Donald, she actually had two arms in addition to her other six legs. 

"That's quite a handsome friend you got there," the sassy spider was saying. "You two like each other?" she said suggestively. She cast a glance at Sora, who was talking eagerly with Donald and the ladybug. Kairi felt her face turn hot, but her otherwise reddened face was concealed by her black exoskeleton. 

"I guess you could say that," Kairi said, smiling. "So what about you, Rosie? Any love interests?"

"I had twelve husbands, honey. But one of them recently passed away, so I guess that makes me a widow. A black widow widow actually," she stated, laughing. Kairi laughed despite herself, but figured that if the spider was so open about the topic it should not make her feel uncomfortable. 

"So, how do you feel about this whole thing with Flik's colony?" Kairi stated, changing the subject.

"Honestly? I really don't know. I have no idea how we all got dragged into this mess. I suppose we're obliged to help but..." She leaned in to meet Kairi, and Kairi bent to meet her at eye level. The spider cupped a hand over the spot where Kairi's ear should have been. "Just between you and me, we're not warriors at all. We're circus bugs."

"Cir--!" Kairi began. Rosie put a finger to Kairi's lips. "Shhh. Don't say anything to Flik. He mistook us for warrior bugs, and we never got a chance to explain... It would break Flik's heart if he ever found out."

"But, Rosie, you'll get yourself killed..." Kairi stated.

"We've grown to love Flik, honey. And if fighting will save his colony and bring a little more peace to this world, then I think that's a cause worth dying for," Rosie said simply, without a trace of regret in her words. 

1Kairi was astonished. Here was a ragtag group of bugs with no fighting experience willing to lay their lives on the line for a stranger. And here she was, strong and young, without even half of the courage and nobility they had. Clearly, Kairi had much growing to do. 

"That was...beautifully said, Rosie," Kairi finally choked out. The widow beamed with pride. Kairi felt a warm hand fall on her shoulder. She turned, seeing Sora's smiling face. 

"Flik said we should get going. Ready?" Sora said. Kairi merely smiled in response. 


	9. The Colony

The group set off, Kairi and Sora trailing behind the others

The group set off, Kairi and Sora trailing behind the others. They walked in silence for a few moments before Sora put his arms behind his head, a familiar position, appearing to be deep in thought.

"So, Kairi, what do you think about these "warrior" bugs?" he began. By the tone he used with the word 'warrior', Kairi knew he suspected the same thing she had.

"I think they're a perfectly sweet bunch. They're all awfully friendly, aren't they?" she replied, avoiding a direct answer. Sora looked her in the eye.

"Not that. I'm not questioning their innocence, just who they are. Honestly, Kairi, they don't look like warriors to me," Sora stated. "And that makes me worried." Kairi knew there was no avoiding the topic now. She let her head hang slightly to the ground and sighed.

"They're not warriors, Sora," she began. "They're circus bugs. The spider told me so, but she didn't want anyone to know. But it would only be right for you to know what we're getting ourselves into. I don't know how tough these grasshoppers are, but it seems like we're going to have our work cut out for us." She saw the shock on Sora's face, but pressed on. "But it's okay, Sora. They're a really dedicated group, and I'm sure they could be helpful if we showed them a thing or two— " Sora opened his mouth to reply before being cut off by an enthusiastic Flik.

"We're here!" he cried from the front of the pack. Sora and Kairi looked up to see the ant colony looming before them. They emerged from the grassy tangles to witness an enormous clearing of sandy soil. A high mound of dirt lay on its eastern side, its shape similar to that of a volcano. Sora looked up, and witnessed the great tree he had spotted the other day. Up close, the tree was impossibly large, standing taller than any mountain peak.

The area was saturated with the scurrying of ants, all cookie cutter images of each other, moving this way and that and creating their own light blue sea, all of them seeming to have a designated job. There was so much activity to take in it was dizzying. Sora's jaw dropped open in awe as he took in the sheer number of them. There were hundreds upon hundreds of humanoid ants, all of them nearly identical in appearance. Sora noticed that most of the ants carried seemingly massive seeds and fruits on their fragile backs, dragging them hastily to a pedestal supported by a series of smaller rocks piled underneath it. The top of the pedestal was a large rock resting precariously on smaller ones. A fresh, vibrant leaf was laid on top of it, and a torn blade of grass served as a ramp to reach the top of the pedestal. Ants sped up and down the ramp, relinquishing their seeds and fruits to an accumulating mountain of food.

"Wow..,." Donald said in awe. Sora made his way to Flik, not taking his eyes off of the pedestal.

"Flik, what are they doing?" Sora asked.

"They're harvesting, Sora. Unfortunately, none of this food is for us. It's the food to replace the supply I knocked into the water. They wouldn't be working so hard if it wasn't for me. Normally we would have already fed the grasshoppers, and this food would be our winter supply. But now..." Flik sighed, looking up into the great tree. Its leaves were bronzing, turning into a brilliant array of golds, reds, and oranges. A single, fire red leaf loosened from a branch far above and fell, drifting lazily through the air. "I don't know if we'll be able to feed the grasshoppers and still have enough time to gather food for ourselves before winter comes. We shouldn't have to feed the grasshoppers in the first place. They've never protected us; we've always managed to take care of ourselves. That's why I've brought you all here. To help me free my colony." Flik balled his hands into fists, determination in his eyes. Sora felt a pang of sorrow for the working ants. He greatly admired Flik's nobility, his determination to right what he has done wrong.

Flik turned to the group of anxious bugs behind him. "Ready everyone? Let's go." Flik marched the hesitant bugs into the throng of commotion. One by one, pairs of ant eyes turned on the strange group, watching them with a mixture of confusion and fear. Heads turned, activity ceased. A dull murmuring started amongst the pale blue ants, their combined voices turning into a dull roar. Sora watched ants emerge from the volcano-like structure to see what the cause of the commotion was. Ants gaped and chatted, turning to each other, their voices high with excitement. The ants came closer to the group, encircling them, gawking at the strange bugs. Sora felt the oppression of their bodies; the heat they generated together was incredible. Kairi looked from one pair of bright eyes to the next, almost wishing she had the comfort of her Keyblade. She felt something graze one of her wings, and turned to see an ant reaching out to her, wanting to feel the strange appendages. Kairi jumped back, moving closer to Sora.

"Sora, are they afraid of us? Or do they want to hurt us?" Kairi said in a low whisper.

"I don't know, Kairi. I really don't know," came Sora's low reply. Sora watched Flik waving his arms about wildly, trying to silence the ants so that he could speak. His pleas were drowned out by the roar of the colony's banter.

"SILENCE!" came a shrill voice, higher than all the others. "I demand silence at this moment!" Conversation stopped abruptly, and an eerie silence penetrated the area. The ants' heads turned uniformly to the mound of dirt, which Sora now realized to be the home of the colony. He watched as a short, hunched ant made her way to highest point of the mound. She was clearly aged; her face almost appeared to be sagging, and deep rivulets lined her cheeks and created circles under her eyes. Despite her weathered appearance, her bulging eyes shown with vigor. Atop her head sat an ornate pink flower, the petals drooping just enough to cast shade over her face.

"The Queen," Flik whispered to Sora and Kairi. Sora wondered if it would be appropriate to bow, but decided against it for fear of attracting more attention to himself.

"Now that I have your attention, what, may I ask, is the source of all of this fuss?" The ants pointed accusing fingers at Flik and his warrior bugs. The Queen's eyes lit at the sight of the strange group. Her eyes widened when she saw Flik.

"You! What was your name again?" the Queen asked.

"Flik, my Queen," Flik stated politely. At this point, two more figures emerged from the colony to take their place beside the Queen. One was a slender, beautiful female tinted a lavender color and flaunting a smaller flower crown. She displayed two narrow wings, similar to Sora's. The other was a tiny, plump lavender ant, clearly an adolescent.

"Why do you return, Flik? You brought this burden upon our colony, and you have the audacity to return unannounced, with these strange bugs in tow? I do not believe these were the terms of your exile... " the Queen announced. The ants commenced their murmuring once more, this time with undertones of anger. There were shouts of "leave!" and "we're going to die because of you!" The Queen held up a hand to silence them. The female looked at Flik earnestly.

"But, my Queen, the royal council gave me permission to go seek warriors!" Flik exclaimed.

"Warriors?" the Queen questioned, pausing to think. "Ah yes, warriors." There was a sad look in her eyes. "My dear, that was merely a ruse to get you to leave. You have caused enough damage to our colony already. There is much work to be done, and we cannot risk having you in our presence..." Sora watched Flik deflate, his antennae sagging. Sora felt a pang of sympathy for the ant. _Was this all for nothing?_ He wondered. "The grasshoppers are angry enough, and we'll be lucky if we survive—"

Flik perked up. "But that's why I'm here, your Majesty! Even if you didn't want me to, I went everywhere searching for warrior bugs, and here they are!" he stated, motioning to the nervous group of bugs behind him. "With their help, we can defeat the grasshoppers! We can be free!"

"Preposterous!" the Queen exclaimed. "You know the grasshoppers offer us protection. If we don't feed them, horrible things will happen to us. It is our way of

life—"

"No! It is _their_ way of life. Without us, the grasshoppers are nothing. Without us, they have nothing. Ants were not meant to be slaves!" Flik shouted, his voice hot with indignation.

Again, conversation ensued among the colony. The lavender female leaned over to her mother. "Flik's right, mother. We can't keep living like this. If we don't fight the grasshoppers, we won't survive through the winter..." The Queen's expression softened noticeably.

"We know not how to fight, Atta, and I fear for the well-being of the colony..."

"But what about _them_, mother," Princess Atta stated, eyeing the odd group of bugs. "If they could show us, I know the colony will pull through. A few casualties is far better than losing the entire colony." The Queen looked into her daughter's hopeful eyes, and put a hand to her cool cheek.

"Your judgement is far better than mine, my dear Atta. Sometimes I wonder if I have lost my touch in my old age. But you, daughter, you will make a fine Queen one day. I will act on your opinion, and I sincerely hope we are making the best decision." Atta beamed at her mother's praise.

Sora and Kairi were tense, fearing the wrath of the ant colony. Instinctively, Kairi felt one of her hands wrap around Sora's. Flik desperately waited for the Queen's response, not willing to accept failure. The colony was much too important to him. He watched her speak to the Princess for what seemed liked ages. Finally, the queen held up a hand, silencing the mass of ants.

"Flik, are you confident that your "warrior bugs" can protect this colony? Will they be willing to protect it with their lives?"

Flik's attennae perked up. "My Queen, are you allowing my warriors to fight?"

"Answer the question, Flik," she replied. Flik turned to his group of bugs.

"We're right behind you, Flik," Sora stated. "Right guys?" Donald, Goofy, and Kairi nodded. Flik nodded, a small smile flickered across his features.

"Ay, my Queen. They are ready and willing to fight for this colony, even at the cost of death," Flik affirmed. At the sound of the word 'death' the caterpillar Heimlich visibly shuddered, sending waves through his bubbly composition. The Queen raised herself, straightening her back and enhancing her elegance.

"Then Flik, although you have disgraced your colony and our future seems dim, consider this an opportunity to right what you have done wrong. Let us hope that you and your warriors can do what you have claimed. Thereby, I grant you permission to stay here with your warriors, and to expunge the grasshoppers by whatever means necessary. Though I will assure that no one in this colony harms you and your friends, I cannot and will not force them to fight. That will be entirely your responsibility. With that, I take my leave of you," the Queen finished. She deflated back into her hunched posture, as if exhausted by the effort to exercise her vocal chords.

Silence fell over the colony like a wave. The ants returned their attention to the group, uncertain as to how they should react to them. The young female stepped forward. She directed her gaze toward Flik. "So what will it be? Will you fight for your colony's freedom? Will you forgive Flik, and welcome his warriors into our presence?"

A blue arm rose above the masses, unidentifiable from all the rest. He spoke up. "I will fight for the colony," he stated simply. His voice was followed by another, female this time.

"I will fight," she chimed in.

"As will I," came another. The voices became a roar as one by one, all of the adult ants pledged to fight for their colony. Sora smiled when he saw Flik's spirits rise.

"I will fight," said the ants. Their combined voices could be heard for great distances around. Flik smiled at the Princess standing on top of the ant hill. He mouthed the words 'thank-you'. Princess Atta smiled in return.

"Then we will be free from the grasshoppers. They will no longer control us. Our harvest will be ours alone. Never again will we have to share what is rightfully ours. We will be free, independent! We will be as great as nature intended us to be! Long live the colony of Ant Island!" Flik shouted. The ants applauded, cheered. They felt a great burden being lifted from them.

"Long live the colony! Down with the grasshoppers!" they chanted. "Long live the colony! Down with the grasshoppers!" Their voices were like thunder.

Kairi laughed at their ecstasy. "This is wonderful, Sora. With all of this support, maybe we'll have a chance after all." Sora smiled in return.

"Those were my thoughts exactly," Sora responded. One ant leaped onto the platform of food, and raised a kernel of grain above his head.

"Party!" it roared. The other ants approved with a cheer. They raced toward the food like a wave, pushing the group of warrior bugs into the throng. The celebration had begun.


End file.
